In response to: Learning from the history of nursing

Dear Dr. Gelinas,

I recently read your editorial, “Learning from the history of nursing,” and I wanted to express my appreciation for the perspective you shared.

As a nurse and healthcare leader with over 24 consecutive years in the field, I often find that the “daily busyness” you described makes it difficult to maintain perspective on the broader scope of our profession. Your editorial served as a necessary reminder that while our technologies and care settings evolve, our core values, specifically our commitment to patient advocacy, safety, and compassion, remain the constant threads that define nursing.

I was particularly struck by your reflection on how historical examples, from Florence Nightingale’s early work in sanitation to our modern focus on human factors engineering, highlight that our responsibility is to understand our past in order to effectively shape the future.

Thank you for providing such a grounding piece that encourages us to pause and reflect on our roots as we continue to advance our practice.

Best regards,
Ann Bindra DNP, RN, CCRN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC
Fresno, CA